ABSTRACT
To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of low-dose cytarabine and aclarubicin in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) protocol for patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A total of fifty relapsed patients have been enrolled, including 13 early relapsed and 37 late relapsed. 24 patients were male and 26 were female, with age ranging from 15 to 69 (median 47) years. Out of them, 7 patients relapsed after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT), 3 patients relapsed after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT), 25 patients relapsed after received regimens including high dose cytarabine and 15 patients relapsed after CR or stopping chemical therapy themself in course of consolidatory therapy. 30 relapsed patients received CAG regimen, and 20 patients (control group) received an anthracycline in combination with cytarabine. The results indicated that after one course, the complete remission (CR) rate was 46.7% (14/30), the CR rate after allo-PBSCT was 50% (3/6), the early death rate was 3.3% in CAG group; and CR rate was 30% (6/20) and the early death rate was 15% in control group. Myelosuppression was mild to moderate, and no severe nonhematologic toxicity was observed in two groups. The overall median times in CAG group and control group were 22 and 19 months respectively. In conclusion, CAG regimen as the induction therapy is effective and well tolerable with low side effects for relapsed patients who had received high dose cytarabine, auto-PBSCT or allo-PBSCT.